#queen and i korean drama cast

[lilidawnonthemoon]

[barbiedreams-posts]

My headcanons for EVERY (I think) Mortal Kombat 1 character

— Liu Kang is a big fan of Chinese food, because well, in the previous timelines he was Chinese, so he constantly goes to Madam Bo's restaurant to eat.

— Johnny Cage is a great dramatic actor, but unfortunately, Hollywood studios always cast him as comedic characters or male characters who are himbos, wasting his potential as a dramatic actor.

— Kenshi met Suchin after saving her from being attacked by thugs in Tokyo, and the two's connection was almost instantaneous, with Suchin agreeing to run away with him after Kenshi left the Yakuza.

— Raiden has a huge crush on Kitana, and constantly draws pictures of the two of them kissing (he's a cartoonist btw)

— Kung Lao loves Chinese and South Korean comedy dramas, his favorite South Korean comedy drama is "True Beauty".

— Kuai Liang is extremely protective of Harumi, like, if Harumi gets a scar, he won't rest until the person who did it pays dearly. When he was dating Cyrax, he was also quite protective of her as well (He's not a sexist who thinks women are too defenseless to protect themselves, he just wants to keep Harumi safe because he loves her so much).

— Bi-Han trusts women more than men, thanks to the complicated relationship he had with his father and the loving relationship he had with his mother (thanks to his daddy issues, he doesn't trust masculine nature very much, even though he is also a man).

— Shang Tsung is not a "victim of Liu Kang's intrigues", this guy is a sociopath to the core!

— Tanya is not Mileena's first lover, she had a girlfriend as a teenager, the daughter of an archduke, but was forced to end the relationship because the archduke's daughter had to marry a man, breaking Mileena's heart.

— Kitana is a voracious reader, she loves books, especially about the history of the Earthrealm and Seido, her favorite historical figure of Earthrealm is Queen Mary Stuart, a queen of Scotland, reflecting the thinking of some outworlders who think that she should be empress in place of Mileena, just as some 16th-century English Catholics wanted Mary to be Queen of England in place of her cousin, Queen Elizabeth I.

— I don't usually do SMUT headcanons, but I like to think that Sindel and Jerrod had an active sex life, and she never married any man after Jerrod because she only liked to have sex with him, she herself was impressed that she only had the twins and not like, three more children!

— The souls within Ermac have been in the living forest for so long that over time they have become one big family.

— Quan Chi was a thief when he was young and was sentenced to work in the gold mines as a way of paying for his crimes, which is why he hates Sindel so much.

— Tanya was not given to the Umgadi when she was a child, she was actually stolen from her mother's arms like several other Umgadi (a bit cruel, but I wanted to make it similar to Marvel's black widows).

— Li Mei has always been in love with Sindel, but she never had the courage to express her feelings.

— Takeda is destined to meet and fall in love with Jacqui, even though in this timeline she is not Jax's daughter.

— Sektor is a lesbian and has a fraternal relationship with Bi-Han.

— Cyrax can speak several African languages, including Zulu and Arabic.

— I'm going to join @rasta-bot AU that Nitara is also a lesbian, there's a 19th century irish lesbian book called "Carmilla" that I really like, it's about a sapphic vampire, just like Nitara.

— Reiko was a mommy's boy, just like Bi-Han.

— Shao suffers from narcissistic personality disorder.

— Syzoth and Ashrah's love language is physical caresses, such as kisses on the forehead and cheek.

— Ashrah is pansexual (yes, another wlw woman, it's "Mortal sapphic Kombat" for me) she has always felt lonely, so she would like any romantic companionship, no matter the gender.

— Baraka prays to Delia every day that a cure for Tarkat will be discovered (this is actually canon btw).

— Slavery is (unfortunately) legal in Seido, and Havik was enslaved (also canon), so he is an anarchist.

— Tomas is a polyglot, he can speak Czech, Chinese, English and Japanese.

[dangermousie]

I just started watching Legend of Ruyi with my mom and she enjoys it. She REALLY prefers shows with lots of historically accurate details, including historical attitudes. That means no pining after the Emperor like a modern woman and expecting monogamy, essentially, which is the reason we had to stop Empress of China. Her favorites are Story of Yanxi Palace, Longest Day in Chang'an, and Goryeo-Khitan War, and Legend of Ruyi might also end up up there - she's enjoying it so far. Any other recommendations? I'm thinking Luoyang after we finish Ruyi but idk.

That depends how not modern she wants - Luoyang has a female policewoman (or equivalent) as one of the mains and I am pretty sure it was not a thing. If that's not an issue, then it's great!

CDRAMAS

Three Kingdoms 2010 is great at feeling period appropriate though there are very few female characters if that is an issue for your mother.

The Advisors Alliance is wonderful, does not have anachronistic attitudes towards either morality or polygamy but more prominent roles for women than Three Kingdoms.

The Story of Han Dynasty (2005) and The Legend of Chu and Han (also known as The King's War) from 2012 also feel period appropriate - the former is old so looks it but vvv solid and the latter is wonderful and that cast!

Any of the Qin Empire series (there are three) would fit the bill.

I've heard amazing things about Legend of Zhen Huan and I peeked at it and it looked very good, but I don't really do most harem dramas so I haven't watched it in full.

In general, because I am not a harem drama person, the recs I gave are more battle/politics/dude heavy so I am gonna throw this ask open to my mutuals who do watch harem dramas for more recs.

KDRAMAS

Most of these are gonna be somewhat older because clearly what your mom likes are traditional sageuks and those are sadly not made much any more.

If your mom liked GK War, then may I recommend King of Tears Lee Bang Won. It's by the same screenwriter, and has the same "adult people doing adult things in period appropriate manner" vibe. Not a pretty boy in sight.

Six Flying Dragons also deals with Lee Bang Won and is one of my favorite period dramas of all time. It's quite epic, has a huge cast of characters, more prominent female roles than King of Tears and to me feels period appropriate enough (no royals yearn for monogamy.)

Tree with Deep Roots - same people who did SFD, this one centers sort of on creation of written Korean alphabet and is not at all boring, surprisingly enough. It's actually intense and heartbreaking and very adult.

The Nokdu Flower - I am in the middle of it but from what I've heard it does not go off the rails. It's set during the Peasant Revolution in 1894-95 and centers around three main characters - a female trader, an illegitimate son of a noble family who's an enforcer, and a legitimate noble heir who goes down a dark path. It's grim and not at all court adjacent so may not be your mom's bag but it would quailfy otherwise.

Empress Ki - this is the closest I've seen a kdrama do a harem cdrama and it's glorious. There is harem and murders and what not and it's definitely female centric and does not feel modern to me (the emperor may be obsessed with the eventual Empress Ki - and historically he appeared to be so as well - but he has plenty of other wives.)

All the good older traditional sageuks about monarchs or their families - Jumong, Lee San Wind of the Palace, Queen Seon Duk, Dong Yi.

Slave Hunters - once again, not royalty centric at all, more dealing with dregs of society, but it's smart and adult and doesn't feel particularly anachronistic to me (the attitudes to slavery feel so tragically realistic.)

Bossam: Steal the Fate - it deals with the custom of kidnapping widows so they could remarry and is surprisingly gritty and real feeling with a lovely romance in it.

Haechi - it follows Yeongjo when he was still a prince. It's a bit of a mystery/investigative thing.

Damo - a police captain, a tea lady and a rebel leader all get entangled in a conspiracy. It's so grim and amazing and heartbreaking.

Conspiracy in the Court - a grownup mystery during Jeongjo's reign.

Eight Days - also set during Jeongjo's reign and centering around assassination attempts on the king. So smart.

My Dearest - it's set during the Qing invasion of Korea and not at all royalty adjacent in terms of the mains though the king and his heir are prominent supporting characters but the attitudes felt so period appropriate - class attitudes, attitudes towards women losing their honor etc. It was my favorite drama last year.

[timchalamet-devoted]

Timothee and Y/N go out to eat and unfortunately Timothee’s stomach doesn’t agree with the meal he eats because of the spice in it. He’s worried it ruined date night by Y/N takes care of him and reassures him he didn’t.

Female reader plz and thx

Hello!! Thank you for the request, I'm sorry it took me so long to write it, I've been incredibly busy with exams 😭

It's quite short, but I hope you like it <3

Drama Queen

Fluff!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Timothée's head rested on your shoulder as your fingers carded through his tangled curls. His face was twisted in pain, soft groans escaping his lips every now and again. He rested his weight entirely on you, nearly causing you to collapse right then and there, on the hallway floor. You hated to see him like this even if you knew he was just being his theatrical self.

In reality, the situation was not at all grave, yet Timothée seemed to make it his mission to blame himself.

Just hours prior, you were sitting contently at a Korean restaurant that you've been eying for some time. The night was perfect: delicious food, great conversation, and abundant time to simply bask in eachothers company.

That was until Timothée's stomach completely gave in to all the spice he had consumed that evening. And so, you had to race home, where you spent the next half an hour digging through the medicine cupboard, still in you sparkly date night dress, only for him to be a stubborn baby and refuse to take the medicine.

In his words, he "ruined the evening and deserved to feel this way."

"See, you would feel better if you only took the medicine." You tried to reason, only getting a shake of his head in return.

"Nooo. Don't wanna."

You rolled your eyes at the evident pout in his voice. He was nothing if not a drama queen.

You let your hands move down to his face and cup his cheek, silently asking him to look at you. He did, and as you locked eye contact, you could see the genuine concern painted on his face.

You smiled softly at him, a gesture which he didn't return, instead casting his gaze to the floor.

"Please don't think you ruined our night." You spoke gently, trying your best to comfort him.

" I had an absolutely wonderful evening, and now I just want to help you, darling. "

"Are you sure it's okay?"

Came his feeble response.

"Of course, my lovlie. Please, take the medicine, and then we can watch a film and cuddle?"

His head instantly bolted upwards, earning an amused giggle from you. Without any further delay, he rushed off into the kitchen, popping the tablet into his mouth and chugging it down with some water.

He returned to you with a dorky grin, arms outstretched and ready to envelop you in his embrace once more.

[dropthedemiurge]

So I went to see the Korean version of Angels in America today, and Taevin was amazing, as expected!

I don't feel too good to leave a full review (seriously, going outside in 35 degrees heat should give me a sick leave for work) and it was only Part 1 (3 Acts) so I'll just talk about Taevin briefly, and if anyone's interested in hearing more, I can come up with another post comparing original and Korean versions later...

Anyway, LEE TAEVIN. I was so right to fall into him (the way he acts, but also I'm in love with his voice who knows why). He was very emotional, very bold, captured original Louis so well (and delivered such fast and complicated rants nicely xD) and also - yes, we had gay kiss and implied fucking on stage as well 👀 In Asian country, talking and showing AIDS stories - it felt very unusual but as an outsider to both cultures and histories, I don't have much ground to speak on.

Also of course, some wordplays were lost but some were added, but mostly the translation was sticking to the original almost perfectly (if only I was more fluent in Korean, I could tall about it even better but I'm really glad I watched the original play first so I knew the story and what they were supposed to say (huge thanks to @dragonsareawesome123 for providing me links!). But I could tell the difference where jokes in English were supposed to land and which comedic moments in Korean striked the best instead xD It was fun noticing. But the loudest laugh (twice at that) was during Louis x Guy hookup on street lol (yes I still can't believe I watched Taevin getting "fucked" on stage the guy really chooses the most queer and bold and interesting roles in the beginning of his acting career)

And there were slight changes in decorations and costumes, and I liked some things more than original, but some original moments got lost.

There are two actors for Prior and tbh I went to see the more popular one because everyone said he's been acting in dramas and other cast worked for me but... I didn't get enough tbh x) Like, Yoo Seungho was good and he was also emotional and delivered lines well - but I guess, I just didn't get the Sick Gay Drag Queen vibes as much as in the original xD I mean, man was so toned and had abs! But the actor himself is thin so it can't be helped Ig, Koreans aren't pale :D

Plus, he was supposed to be contrasting to Louis and Joe but he was less flamboyant so I guess that's the only flaw I can point out. I'll go watch second actor in the second part of the play to compare acting between Korean versions and not with western one, it's going to be interesting.

But still, Seungho himself did a good job with acting with his body and emotional delivery, I'm merely comparing to the original play. He was also very sweet when he came out to the fans after the play ^^

Anyway, the rest of the cast was great as well, the explicity from original - in both language and portrayed things - stayed there and only details ended up more smoothed iut (more Asian style?)

The Art hall was almost full on Sunday, which I was surprised to see for such story, and I saw a lot of couples and people in their 30-40s and nobody left mid-break which to me is a good sign xD

That was a nice experience, it was my first time seeing or knowing about Angels in America too, I'm definitely gonna go for Part 2 because that's where the most of the fun is :D

Tagging @doyou000me @non-binarypal7 who were interested in my review (if you watched the original, I can share more about the actual lines and moments xD)

[survivalistghost]

2023 kdrama list

list of the kdramas i watched and loved in 2023

obviously this is quite late but to those who want to start a kdrama, this is it.

#10 - soundtrack #2

there is such a comfort in the soundtrack series. even soundtrack #1 was so good, but this new instalment, truly works on the og kdrama tropes. lovers to exes to accidental 'fate' encounter to forced proximity to lovers again. puppy dog male lead, angsty female lead, jealousy, wholesome second lead, it's got it all. and ofc, music.

#9 - king the land

many people did not like this drama. honestly, if you're watching a kdrama that is romance and comedy then why would be angry that it had romance and comedy. again, a true example of a classic kdrama, rich ceo guy with hardworking girl, mix in some trauma and employee-employer drama, and this is the perfect clichéd drama.

#8 - see you in my 19th life

honestly i just like watching ahn bo hyun. he is such a pretty man. storyline-wise, i feel like they did a lot of stuff, but the ending honestly disappointed me. shin hye sun, as usual, love the woman, what an actor, the second leads also did not disappoint, loved them all.

#7 - crash course in romance

such a heartwarming drama. choi chiyeol with the temperament of a wet cat, the stress of studies in all asian countries, not just korea. all the romances were so cute (barring the best friend and brother). one thing they could have done better was cast a younger actress for the female lead. even this love triangle was so cute and fun.

#6 - my demon

song kang and kim yoo jung really killed it with the chemistry. i mean, forget everything else, i'll just take 16 episodes of them hanging out. even behind the scenes reels will work. the plot was pretty solid, felt like a remake of doom at your service. song kang does a wonderful job at being both goofy and serious, and kim yoo jung did so good at the angsty ceo.

#5 - the good bad mother

am i surprised this ended up higher than my demon? yes. this was such a good show, the past and present layered together so beautifully. the villains seemed like actual villains, but you weren't sure who to hate until the last episode. really shows some aspects of motherhood through both the eyes of the kids and mothers. had a cute little romance as well.

#4 - the worst of evil

ji chang wook and wi ha jun. need i say more? i have said it once, and i'll say it again - so few do action like koreans do. i mean, vincenzo, my name, midnight runners, and now this, such action masterpieces.

#3 - daily dose of sunshine

park bo young wa sso cute in this one. i miss small kdramas with intense plots. mental illnesses were dealt with very well in this one. the romance was so cute, and chang ryul, my baby, i missed him so much.

#2 - alchemy of souls s2

i just. love. this series. so much. like, the characters are so well built, the storyline, the romance, the destiny, oh my god. please watch this.

#1 - welcome to samdal-ri

this comes as a surprise to absolutely no one. what a feel-good drama to end 2023. it was the perfect remix of hometown cha cha cha that we all needed. ji chang wook, my absolute gem of a man, and shin hye sun, queen of no shit given but too many shits given roles. adore the friendships, romance, calm setting, the love between everyone. please watch it.

[scorbleeo]

Drama Gossip: Queen of Tears

Source: Google Images

The queen of department stores and her small-town husband weather a marital crisis —until love miraculously begins to bloom again.

Source: Netflix (2024)

This Did Not Go As Plan

What I meant by that, every time I thought the show was going to go a certain way, it does not. This may sound like a complain but it cannot be further than that. Queen of Tears kept surprising me by proving me wrong and that made me like this drama even more than I initially thought I would. I haven't enjoyed a romantic k-drama in so long yet because of how different the romance aspect was in Queen of Tears, it is definitely one of the better romantic k-dramas I've watched in recent years.

I originally watched this drama because of that drunk scene. I wondered what kind of romance this show has to film a scene like that. Imagine my surprise when Queen of Tears began with a severely unhappy marriage. Although the first few episodes were nothing fantastic apart from those comedic scenes, courtesy of Baek Hyun Woo, it was different enough to keep me watching. The romance constantly broke my heart, the drama might have been unoriginal but the way it played out kept me on the edge of my seat all the time. Last but not least, needless to say, the acting was perfection. Honestly, the acting was probably one of the reasons I was captivated by this drama.

All that being said, I simply cannot end my thoughts without a brief discussion on Yoon Eun Sung. I may be in the minority here but I never hated this man. He was annoying most of the time, frustrating some of the time, but he never made me hate him. If I wasn't annoyed or frustrated, I was pitying him. This man is really collateral damage from his mother's schemes. If for once, his mother placed her wants and needs after his, Eunsung could have been in a better place mentally, even if it was for a short while. Unfortunately, he never had the chance with the way he was brought up. Comparing him to his mother, this poor man was not evil, he just...misconstrued his own intentions and act on them in some of the worst ways. I wasn't glad he was killed because he's the villain, I was glad because he finally gets to rest.

To end this off, during the earlier days of Queen of Tears's broadcast, I do believe the show deserves all that hype. Unfortunately, the storyline did fall off near the end. It became a rushed event that we've seen happened in multiple other Korean dramas. The only redeeming factor was the emotions portrayed by the cast. I've never cried so much throughout a 16-episode drama before.

Rating: ��★★★☆

P.S.: Lets be real, Grace was the actual MVP in Queen of Tears.

More production from South Korea here: The Good Bad Mother

[galaxymagick]

240625 OfficialJTW_LEO✖️

@OfficialJTW_LEO

[#JUNGTAEKWOON NEWS] 전소민·지승현, '베란다' 출연 확정…정택운 스크린 데뷔 📌 https://naver.me/GBF9dlvH 📌 https://m.joynews24.com/v/1734207 #정택운 #레오 #LEO #영화 #베란다 #아덴

Jeon Somin and Ji Seunghyun confirmed to appear in ‘Veranda’… Jung Taekwoon's screen debut

#JungTaekwoon #Leo #Movie #Veranda #Aden

web translated article

Korean journalists, often use this expression "crank-in" when filmmakers start to shoot a movie.

Movie ‘Veranda’ Jeon Somin, Ji Seunghyun, Ha Suho casting, crank in

The casting date for the romantic thriller film ‘Veranda’ (directed by Cho Sung-won) has been confirmed.

Director Cho Sung-won's romantic thriller film 'Veranda' selected Jeon So-min, Ji Seung-hyun, and Ha Soo-ho as the lead actors and recently began filming, distribution company Santa Claus Entertainment announced on the 25th.

The movie 'Veranda' is a story about people's secrets and truths projected in a space called an apartment, a communal home. 26 Company Co., Ltd. named this work, which has a narrative that relieves the burden of drama from the existing genre of 'erotic thriller' and highlights a more sophisticated and sensuous mise-en-scène, as a genre of 'romantic thriller', providing unique fun and entertainment. He expressed his aspirations for the production, saying that he wanted to create emotion.

Actress Jeon So-min plays the role of Jeong Ha-yeon, who is threatened by a mysterious person claiming to know the secret about her husband's death. Actress Jeon So-min, like a chameleon, plays roles in a variety of genres, including a love story in the drama 'Show Window: The Queen's House' and a life-style role in 'Cleaning Up'. In this work, she plays Jeong Ha-yeon, who senses that someone stalking her house is related to her husband's death and sets out to find her. She is able to establish herself as a thriller queen with strong maternal love for her son Aram. I plan to go through a transformation in my acting.

Actor Ji Seung-hyun played the role of ‘Hyun-woo’, who lost his beloved wife and child. He clearly made a mark on viewers with his role as Yang Gyu in the drama 'Khitan War of Goryeo', and has recently become a popular actor, even holding a fan meeting for the first time since his debut, and is actively engaged in activities. In this movie, the main character Hayeon's son 'Aram' follows Hyunwoo, and attention is being paid to how 'Hyeonwoo', who begins to dream big in new hope with Hayeon, will be portrayed.

Here, the role of Hayeon's husband 'Woojae' is played by actor Ha Soo-ho. Since his debut, actor Ha Soo-ho has expanded his scope of activities to include screens, TVs, and OTT series, and is showing impressive acting across genres. In particular, he left a strong impression on viewers with his impactful acting as a vicious villain in Netflix's 'The Hounds' last year and in Disney+'s 'Han River'. Ha Soo-ho is solidifying his position as an actor. This work raises expectations about how the heavy and ugly truth hidden behind death will be expressed in detail.

In addition, actor Jeong Hee-tae will play the role of 'Nam Kyung-jang', who begins to investigate the surroundings while suspecting 'Woo-jae's' accident, and 'Kim Kyung-jang' will be played by newcomer Jeon Young-chan. Actor Jeong Hee-tae, who showed outstanding acting in the dramas 'Wedding Impossible', 'House with a Yard', and the movies 'My Neighbor' and 'Cheer Up, Mr. Lee', takes on the role of Detective Nam Kyung-jang, who is investigating the case in detail. It will add weight to the play. Meanwhile, actor Jeon Young-chan is recognized for his acting skills in short films such as 'Daejeon, 1960' and 'Lighthouse', and recently, he is a rookie with infinite possibilities and potential with his passionate passion in dramas such as the drama 'Cheer Up' and the OTT series 'Dominant Bell' and 'Deal'. am. Expectations are high for the diverse charms he will show through ‘Chief Inspector Kim’.

Jung Taekwoon, who plays the role of 'Arden', who is about to make his screen debut through 'Veranda', debuted as the main vocalist of the group VIXX in 2012 and received a lot of love for his unique voice and eye-catching charm, and has appeared in the musical 'Full House' since 2014. , 'Mata Hari', 'Monte Cristo', 'Elisabeth', 'Marie Antoinette', 'Frankenstein', 'The Great Comet', as well as the play 'Tebesland', and has been praised for her passionate performances regardless of genre, becoming an all-rounder with acting skills. It came out. In this 'Veranda', he plans to further expand his range of acting by playing the role of a mysterious character who spies on Hayeon's house and learns her secret.

In addition, this film 'Veranda' won the Grand Bell Award for Art Director with the film 'Moss', and he served as art director and set manager for leading works representing Korea such as 'Battleship Island', 'Sabaha', 'Korean Peninsula', and 'Bat'. Since this is the first work directed by director Seong-won Cho, it is attracting particular interest and expectations.

The movie 'Veranda', which is raising expectations with the appearance of many actors with solid acting skills such as Jeon So-min, Ji Seunghyun, and Ha Suho, as well as excellent supporting roles, is scheduled to be released in 2025.

Jeon So-min and Ji Seunghyun confirmed to appear in ‘Veranda’… Jung Taekwoon's screen debut

Actors Jeon So-min, Ji Seung-hyun, and Ha Soo-ho are coming together for 'Veranda'.

26 Company Co., Ltd. said, "This work, which relieves the burden of drama from the existing genre of 'erotic thriller' and has a narrative that highlights a more sophisticated and sensuous mise-en-scène, is named as a genre 'romantic thriller', and provides a unique and fun experience." “I wanted to create an emotion,” he said, expressing his production aspirations.

Jeon So-min takes on the role of Jeong Ha-yeon, who is threatened by a mysterious person claiming to know the secret about her husband's death. Jeon So-min plays Jeong Ha-yeon, who senses that someone stalking her house is related to her husband's death and sets out to find her. She is able to establish herself as a thriller queen with her strong maternal love for her son A-ram. I plan to go through another acting transformation.

Ji Seung-hyeon plays the role of Hyun-woo, who lost his beloved wife and child. As Hayeon's son Aram follows Hyunwoo, attention is focused on how Ji Seung-hyun will portray Hyunwoo, who begins to dream big in new hope with Hayeon.

Hayeon's husband Woojae is played by Ha Soo-ho. After his debut, Ha Soo-ho, who expanded his scope of activities to the screen, TV, and OTT series, and showed impressive acting across genres, raises expectations about how he will densely express the heavy and ugly truth hidden behind death.

In addition, actor Jeong Hee-tae plays the role of Nam Kyung-jang, who begins to investigate the surroundings while suspecting Woo-jae's accident, and newcomer Jeon Young-chan plays the role of Kim Kyung-jang.

Jung Taekwoon (Leo), who plays the role of Arden, who is about to make his screen debut through 'Veranda', debuted as the main vocalist of VIXX in 2012 and received a lot of love for his unique voice and eye-catching charm. Since 2014, he has been well received for his passionate performances across genres in musicals such as ‘Full House’, ‘Mata Hari’, ‘Monte Cristo’, ‘Elisabeth’, ‘Marie Antoinette’, ‘Frankenstein’, and ‘The Great Comet’ as well as the play ‘Tebesland’. He was reborn as an all-rounder with acting skills. In this 'Veranda', she plans to further expand her range of acting by playing the role of a mysterious person who spies on Hayeon's house and learns her secret.

'Veranda' won the Grand Bell Award for Art Director for the movie 'Moss', and director Seong-won Cho, who was in charge of art direction and set responsibility for leading representative works of Korea such as 'The Battleship Island', 'Sabaha', 'Korean Peninsula', and 'Bat', etc. This is the first work that took on a megaphone. It is targeted for release in 2025.

[goawaywithjae]

A HUGE thanks to Sebastian Roché for taking time from filming to talk to me abutt his work on the hit KDrama QUEEN OF TEARS opposite Kim Soo-hyun and Kim Ji-won. As far as I know, QoT is the 1st time a K-Drama hired an established western actor. The multi-lingual Roché spoke about what it's like working on a K-drama, learning Hangul & how his wife Alicia Hannah-Kim (of COBRA KAI) was key in making this happen. And, not for nothing, but this is the first interview I've done specifically for my Substack newsletter. I hope you enjoy it!

[seouldramaspot]

Queen of Tears: A Compelling Dive into Love and Crisis

"Queen of Tears" (Korean: 눈물의 여왕) is a 2024 South Korean television series that captivates audiences with its intricate portrayal of a married couple navigating a tumultuous crisis. Written by the acclaimed Park Ji-eun and co-directed by Jang Young-woo and Kim Hee-won, the series stars the powerhouse duo Kim Soo-hyun and Kim Ji-won. Airing on tvN from March 9 to April 28, 2024, and available for streaming on TVING and Netflix in selected regions, this drama has not only captured hearts but also shattered viewership records.

The narrative centers on Hong Hae-in, a third-generation chaebol heiress, and Baek Hyun-woo, a lawyer from a rural background. The series delves into their complex relationship, highlighting the challenges and rekindling of their love after three years of marriage. This emotional rollercoaster is set against the backdrop of the Queens Group's corporate world and the humble rural village of Yongdu-ri.

Cast: The cast of "Queen of Tears" brings the story to life with their compelling performances:

Kim Soo-hyun as Baek Hyun-woo, a lawyer and Hae-in's devoted husband.

Kim Ji-won as Hong Hae-in, the ambitious CEO of Queens Department Store.

Park Sung-hoon as Yoon Eun-sung, a savvy investor and Hae-in's university acquaintance.

Kwak Dong-yeon as Hong Soo-cheol, Hae-in's younger brother and CEO of Queens Mart.

Lee Joo-bin as Cheon Da-hye, Soo-cheol's wife.

Supporting roles feature a robust ensemble, including Kim Kap-soo, Lee Mi-sook, and Jung Jin-young, enhancing the series' depth with their stellar portrayals of Hae-in's and Hyun-woo's families.

Park Ji-eun, after the monumental success of "Crash Landing on You," returns with a gripping storyline in "Queen of Tears." The series, co-produced by Studio Dragon, Culture Depot, and Showrunners, underwent meticulous preparation. The first script reading was conducted in March 2023, and filming spanned several months, capturing the scenic beauty of South Korea and Germany. With a hefty budget of ₩56 billion (US$48.95 million), the production quality is top-notch, boasting exquisite cinematography and elaborate sets.

The original soundtrack, curated by music director Nam Hye-seung, is a melodic journey that complements the series' emotional tone. Featuring artists like BSS, 10cm, Heize, and Crush, the OST has struck a chord with fans. Notably, Kim Soo-hyun lends his voice for the first time in a decade, adding a personal touch to the series' musical landscape.

"Queen of Tears" has been a ratings juggernaut, achieving a nationwide rating of 24.850% for its finale, making it the highest-rated series in tvN's history and the third highest-rated series in Korean cable television. Critics and audiences alike have lauded the series for its engaging storyline and stellar performances. Forbes highlighted its unique approach of starting with "happily ever after" and then exploring the complexities of maintaining it. NME's Tanu I. Raj praised it as a "whirlwind office romance" with a comic undertone, awarding it 3 out of 5 stars.

The series' global appeal is evident from its performance on Netflix's Global Top 10 TV (Non-English) category, where it ranked seventh shortly after release. With 373.2 million hours watched over its broadcast run, "Queen of Tears" has left an indelible mark on viewers worldwide.

"Queen of Tears" is a masterful blend of romance, drama, and corporate intrigue, underscored by exceptional performances and a captivating soundtrack. It stands as a testament to the creative prowess of its makers and the enduring appeal of K-dramas on a global stage. Whether you're a long-time fan of Korean dramas or a newcomer, "Queen of Tears" is a must-watch that promises to take you on an unforgettable emotional journey.

Honest comment:

For me when I watch it I know it will be a success since the chosen cast for the series is one of the great actors and actresses they done their part amazing and it touch people's hearts and for me some parts are predictable but it is still a masterpiece a story of people in a marriage it is so relatable to others who are married and they capture all the married people and the teens imagination of having a great husband for them in the future. Story is great I love it and it is worth to watch all of it was a mixed emotions and I can't spoil it so watch it!!

[coreancitizen]

2022 Year in Review: My Korean drama recommendations

2022 went by so quickly, and I think that's partly because almost every week I had new episodes of shows to look forward to. I'm a bit of a contradiction: I don't have the patience to wait for a new show to be completed so I could binge it, but I (maybe not-so) patiently wait for episodes every week, haha. TBH, I find I'm more invested in a show and its characters when I watch a drama weekly. And there were so many characters worth the investment in 2022: Woo Young Woo, Queen Im Hwa Ryeong, the Oh sisters, Kim Yumi, Jin Do Jun and Jang Uk, to name a few.

I just want to make clear that, as in previous years, this is by no means a list of the best Korean dramas of 2022. These are merely my favorites among the ones I watched that premiered in 2022 (or ended in 2022).

You can find my previous roundups here:

2021: Year in Review 2020: Year in Review

YUMI'S CELLS 2

New season means new love for Kim Yumi (Kim Go Eun) as she begins a romance with co-worker Yoo Babi following her breakup with video game designer Goo Woong. TBH, I wasn't quite sure how I'd feel about the new pairing — I have a soft spot for Ahn Bo Hyun — but Jinyoung charmed me even before the series started. He and Go Eun have a sweet and natural chemistry that made me root for Yumi and Babi, even knowing how the relationship ended in the webtoon. Another thing I love about the series is its portrayal of Yumi's pursuit of her dream to be a writer — from the frustrations of earlier rejections to keeping it positive while faced with criticisms and the satisfaction of another job (book) well done. That shot of her jumping on the bed toward the end of the series was cathartic and the perfect cap to Yumi's growth. (Viki)

LITTLE WOMEN

This is NOT Louisa May Alcott's famous novel though it does share some themes and puts sisters at the forefront of the story. The Oh sisters — In Joo, In Kyung and In Hye — just want to live a life not steeped in poverty. So when 2 billion won falls on In Joo's lap, their problems are over, right? Nope. A multitude of troubles arrive as the sisters get entangled with a rich, powerful and corrupt family with a lot of unscrupulous allies. This series got me on the edge of my seat from the very first episode and the thrills and tension never let up until the end. I absolutely love how messy and chaotic the sisters and their relationships with each other are. They love but they also fight, annoy and block each other, LOL! Now please cast Kim Go Eun and Wi Ha Joon in an action comedy series or film and give them the ending on the sunny beaches of Greece that their characters deserve. (Netflix)

BULGASAL: IMMORTAL SOULS

This is the first drama that caught my attention last year, a fantasy with monsters, past lives, immortal love and families. It's the story of how the lives of a man (Lee Jin Wook) who was turned into an immortal monster 600 years ago and a woman (Kwon Na Ra) who has been dying and reincarnating for centuries have been intertwined. The world building is quite interesting and the central mystery keeps you guessing until the very end. Keep an eye out for familiar faces as people from the past emerge in the present. (Netflix)

A BUSINESS PROPOSAL

This romcom is adorable with a capital A. Shin Ha Ri (Kim Se Jeong) shows up to a blind date pretending to be her best friend and does her best to turn off a potential match by behaving outrageously. It's a schtick she and her chaebol best friend had cooked up a long time ago to discourage suitors. Unfortunately, the blind date turns out to be Kang Tae Moo (Ahn Hyo Seop), the young president of the food company where she works. And even more unfortunately, he's interested and now wants to marry her! Hilarious chaos ensues, abetted by the couple's adorable best friends (the second couple), her zany family and his kdrama-loving grandfather. You'll never look at an archaeopteryx (bird-like dinosaur) the same way again. (Netflix)

TOMORROW

This is a lovely, heartbreaking, oftentimes cathartic drama about people desperate enough to consider taking their own lives and the team of resolute grim reapers who work very hard to prevent their deaths. Comatose Choi Jun Woong (Rowoon) is the newbie in the Risk/Crisis Management Team led by Koo Ryeon (Kim Hee Sun). Lim Ryung Gyu rounds up the team. Head of the Soul Collection Team Park Joong Gil, despite being a fellow grim reaper, is a thorn on the team's side — he has a special animosity for Ryeon that may have something to do with the past. Fortunately, the team has a stalwart supporter in the Jade Emperor (Kim Hae Sook). (Netflix)

MILITARY PROSECUTOR DOBERMAN

Legal action drama with a touch of comedy is probably the best way to describe this series and it's the perfect leading man vehicle for Ahn Bo Hyun. Do Bae Man passes the bar with basically just a GED and so finds himself unable to find a spot in a decent law firm until he gets an "offer he can't refuse" from corrupt lawyer Yong Moon Go: Serve in the military for five years as a prosecutor and then join his prestigious firm after. The plan is going swimmingly until he crosses paths with another military prosecutor, Cha Woo In (Jo Bo Ah), who is targeting some members of the military brass for revenge after her beloved father's suspicious death. After long-buried secrets begin to emerge, Do Bae Man finds himself reevaluating what it is he really wants to do with his life. (Viki)

EXTRAORDINARY ATTORNEY WOO

Woo to the Young to the Woo! The series follows Woo Young Woo, a young lawyer on the autism spectrum. She's got a brilliant legal mind, able to see different angles of a case but struggles with day-to-day interactions. Fortunately, she has the people looking out for her, like her dad, her boss/mentor, her law school friend and, of course, the handsome support team member who might just have more than friendship in mind. Park Eun Bin is brilliant as Woo Young Woo, she truly gets you invested in her challenges and triumphs. The legal maneuverings are fairly interesting, especially when they involve a rival law firm and somebody from WYW's past. (Netflix)

ALCHEMY OF SOULS

In the land of Daeho, an assassin trapped in a blind woman's weak body encounters a young lord from a powerful family who needs help to unlock his powers. Interesting lead and supporting characters, solid world-building, fantastic sword and sorcery action? I was sold from the very beginning. At the end of the second ep, I was absolutely in love with the feisty Mudeok and her rather bratty young master/pupil Jang Uk who just wants his gate of energy opened so he can do what everybody can — cast spells and use a sword. There's a twist at the end of the 20-episode first season, and I guess your enjoyment of the second season would largely depend on how much you accept the change. But in both seasons, the crown prince remains quite the scene stealer and he's possibly my most favorite character of all. (Netflix)

UNDER THE QUEEN'S UMBRELLA

A truly female-driven drama — from the queen and the queen dowager down to the concubines and, yes, even the court ladies. The series begins with Queen Hwa Ryeong's biggest problem being the four grand princes' rather relaxed approach to their education, lagging behind the other sons of the king via his numerous scheming concubines. But tragedy strikes and the queen and her sons suddenly find themselves fighting to make sure they don't lose not just their positions but their very lives. Kim Hye Soo makes it so easy to root for the embattled queen who wields her position and her eyebrows skillfully to thwart ministers, concubines and her mother-in-law, the queen dowager. I also love that her sons, the four grand princes, are unlike other royal brothers in sageuks — they are close, affectionate and loyal, leaving the dirty tricks to their half-brothers. This series probably has the most satisfying ending among the ones I watched last year. (Netflix)

REBORN RICH

Yoon Hyun Woo is a hard-working, loyal, no-questions-asked employee of the powerful Jin Family, which controls the Soonyang Group. One day, on an overseas errand to retrieve some secret money, he is betrayed by someone in the family and murdered — but promptly finds himself "waking up" in the body of the youngest grandson of the Jins, back in 1987. How, you ask? I finished the series but that part is still unclear. What's clear is how charismatic and believable Song Joong Ki is as the twentysomething investment whiz Do Jun. And what an amazing actor Lee Sung Min, as Soonyang chairman and patriarch Jin Yang Cheol is. The push-pull in their relationship is what made the series work for 15 episodes. Not that the supporting cast members are slackers. This is one of the best ensembles I've ever seen, the actors really working to make these characters ones you'd love to hate. Some of the business stuff might put off viewers but I found the whole thing fascinating and easily understood. I cheered when Do Jun/Hyun Woo used his knowledge of the future as well as his relatives' greed to take pieces of Soonyang. I'm recommending this series but with a caveat: I found the ending a bit of a mess and rather unsatisfactory. BUT the previous 15 episodes are fantastic and definitely worth a watch. (Viki)

Bonus recommendations

I recently started dipping my toes into Chinese dramas, even though I'm still intimidated by the episode count. "Love Between Fairy and Devil" is sweet and hilarious and has fantastic special effects. (Netflix and Viki)

But my heart truly belongs to Li Wei and the sixth young prince of Xin State as they figure out family, politics and love as their "New Life Begins." (Viki)

Last but certainly not the least, "Pachinko," which even though it stars some of the biggest names in Korean entertainment is not considered K-Drama by its creators. Based on Min Jin Lee's critically acclaimed novel, the series — Youn Yuh Jung, Lee Min Ho and Kim Min Ha are key parts of the ensemble — follows the trial and tribulations of a Korean family over four generations. The story begins in Korea, moves to Japan and eventually spreads to the United States. The story is rich and emotional, the direction precise and the acting superb. It has been recognized in a lot of year-end lists and recently won the Critics Choice Award for best foreign language series. (Apple TV +)

[elderflowergin]

2022 kdrama/movie roundup!

It was a tough year for keeping up with anything because life, toddler, etc, but here are the things I watched, in part or whole, that I remembered. Hot Takes Incoming!

Sell Your Haunted House - Jang Nara in boots. Kang Mal-geum in dark lipstick. Touching, gay, many mother issues. The girls were fantastic. The boys weren't bad.

25 21 - I was dropped back into the 90s. Surprisingly, I didn't hate it. The girls were fantastic. Na Hee-do was correct to dump Baek Yi-jin. Moon Ji-woong, perfect boy. Ji Seung-wan for PRESIDENT!

Why Her? - Someone thought it'd be a great idea to throw Seo Hyun-jin's ex-client (shudder) current-student (TRIPLE SHUDDER) Hwang In-yeop into the romance mix when billionaire CHOI YOUNG-JOON and Crown Prince Bae In-hyuk were already there. And they thought it'd be funny if Hwang In-yeop won. NO.

Eve - The superior commentary this year on the horrors of capitalism. It ends with reparations (Park Byung-eun hands over his entire empire to Seo Yeji, who promptly divests it), rich people dying in horrible ways and Seo Yeji doing the tango. Were the makjang knobs dialled up so high they're broken? Yes. Was it fun? YES, because I got to see Park Byung-eun's range, which includes Pained Hottie, and Seo Yeji running men's feet over in cars wearing couture. We can ask for no more.

Juvenile Justice - No one asked "What happens if we take three of the most charismatic working actors in Korean entertainment today and squeezed the life out of them?" But someone answered anyway.

My Liberation Notes - Lee El, a revelation. Mr Gu, a revelation when he started talking, and not the good kind.

Grid - Kim Mu-yeol. Kim Ah-joong and Jang So-yeon had a great year. I didn't understand the time thing at all. This is a me problem, but probably the only time I'll face it this year. Right? RIGHT?

Bloody Heart - Jang Hyuk has done nothing wrong, ever. The girls were fantastic. Lee Joon, I heard your script was meant for Lee Joon-hyuk. Sorry.

Pachinko - The girls were fantastic. Kim Min-ha, baby, you're gorgeous. JUNG EUN-CHAE was everything. Sorry to Lee Min-ho, who had the tough double role of acting as Ko Hansu and also like he belonged to this cast of greats.

Our Blues - Great acting, but my own blues were sufficient for me. The girls were fantastic. Unwanted to wanted pregnancy storyline: no thanks. This is a me problem, but probably the only time I'll face it this year. Right? RIGHT?

Extraordinary Attorney Woo - 75% love; 25% NOT THIS AGAIN.

Little Women - The girls were fantastic. I ran out of air by this point in the year. I'll come back for you, gothic interior design, poison orchids, and Song Joong-ki in the best role he's played all year!

Through the Darkness - Almost too many twirling moustache psychos and dead girls. I did it for Kim Nam-gil because he's so pretty in this and in case it wasn't abundantly clear by now, I don't think with my brain. The lone living girl - Kim So-jin - was fantastic. Jin Seon-kyu, well-adjusted stealth hottie!

Reborn Rich - Samsung owes Lee Sung-min its entire semiconductor business as @rain-hat said. Lee Sung-min owes me reparations for making me watch this show for him primarily (secondarily Park Hyuk-kwon, Kim Shin-rok, Park Ji-hyun and Kim Nam-hee for their acting; Kim Young-jae because he is THE DILF). I'm manifesting NO TIMESLIPS in 2023 dramas.

Under the Queen's Umbrella - Kim Hye-soo pushing up her hanbok sleeves to carry babies and do embroidery should be projected onto my tombstone unto eternity. The girls were fantastic. And I know this is unusual, so bear with me, but: the boys? FANTASTIC ALSO.

Movies:

Vikram - Fahaadh Faasil, my thoughts are nasty and you don't want to hear them. The girls might have been fantastic had they been permitted to live and not be dumdums. That was never going to happen, of course. There was torture and a baby in significant peril, but it was also the most fun I'd had in a while. I should get my head checked.

Ponniyin Selvan - The sheer scale of work and sweat that has gone into the enterprise of making Vikram seem taller than Trisha Krishnan for the last twenty years! Iconic. The girls were fantastic.

The Naked Kitchen - This is sold as a story of a woman choosing between two men. That is a lie. It's about a man coming to terms with his marriage drifting into polyamory, and enjoying it. Shin Min-ah and Ju Ji-hoon fuck in a museum, which was also weirdly sweet.

Asura City of Madness - AHJUSSHIS WHY. Hwang Jung-min's shirttails worked very hard in 2012. Jung Woo-sung ate glass and has pathological issues about being as handsome as he is. We love him for it. We did not love this.

Hunt - Love is your bestie learning how to write and direct just to write and direct you in the role of a lifetime for you, personally. I don't know if that's what happened here, but that's what love is. And chemistry is whatever these two guys have in this completely ordinary movie that did not give any feelings. Hwang Jung-min, pussy OUT.

Decision to Leave - A well-deserved love letter to Tang Wei, just beautifully shot, gorgeous.

Il Mare - Absolutely lovely little film, reliant almost entirely on the star power of two actors who are so charismatic they don't need to meet in the movie to convince you of their romance.

Laal Singh Chaddha - There was a very beautiful wedding at the end. Aamir Khan's face must hurt.

Darlings - A movie that appreciated and respected noted hottie Shefali Shah.

[bitacrytic]

Thoughts on the new project? I felt the MA period drama has a very moulin rouge vibe ( I hope that's how you spell it). Like the animated visuals look like they belong well with a fairytale like tragedy.

I also noticed that Bible is crying in the new poster 👀👀

Also the cafe thing ❤❤ the youngest cast member looks happy ( I forgot the kids name)

The only trailer I have seen is the one with the cafe and the alien under a black umbrella. Honestly, it seems like, once again, Barcode is in one drama, while Jeff is in a whole other drama.

I am excited to see what they do with it. This is Barcode's second drama, so I imagine he'll be even better than before. I am picturing the kimchay bar scene where Kim murders people while Chay plays videogames... but in a cafe and on a muh larger scale.

I haven't seen the other trailers. I don't think I'm ready. I saw the BarcodeJeff one because of Tiktok. I'm not ready. I'm going to drag this out as long as I can. Thank you.

I know Bible and Build will kill it. I hope Build gets the predator's role. I want to see those angel eyes be put to bad use. He's capable of it. Plus, I feel like Bible being an honest nerd would fit him too. I know we love a good Wichipas villainy, but a good bean Wichipas would be a nice change of once.

Plus, intimacy scenes😊😊😊😊😊😊

I saw a clip of Woody asking about it and they better not break my heart. Build, wreck that man for me and I will send you prayers.

As for the MA project based on the first trailer they showed us, I was getting serious Kamasutra and Frozen Flower vibes. Kamasutra is a Bollywood movie about a King who falls for the same woman as his favorite artist. Frozen Flower is a Korean move about a King whose lover/bodyguard falls in love with his Queen.

Both, very painful love triangles.

Both featuring Kings.

Both featuring death.

I smell the saddest of endings for the MA project, so when I tell you I am not ready, I mean my heart, soul, mind, body, blood, veins, muscles, skin... not one inch of me 9s ready.

[dangermousie]

Pre-Joseon Sageuks: a Biased and Incomplete List

So, as promised way earlier, a post on pre-Joseon sageuks that I’ve either watched or plan to watch so am aware of them. I am sure there are others but here is what I got. Obviously my takes on them are subjective blah blah blah.

Jumong - arguably the Daddy of all Traditional Sageuks, this one ran for over 80 episodes and had insane ratings. It follows the rise of the mythical founder of Gogureyo tho it takes fantastical elements of his story and changes them for historically plausible ones. It’s very long and very meaty and politics/battle heavy and has a large cast of complex characters (including pretty nifty women and a LGBTQ supporting OTP) but it is anchored by the incredible performance of Song Il Gook as the titular character as he slowly but believably grows from nothing to a hero if at the cost of losing his marriage.

The King of Tears Lee Bang Won - this is basically a half and half beast as (you can tell by the title), it’s set in the last days of Goryeo and early days of Joseon. The time period covered is the same as in My Country and Six Flying Dragons, but this is the most traditional take of them all, even more so than 6FD. Not a single pretty face in the cast (tho Joo Sang Wook is a mighty fine man, emphasis on “man”), this is for the real fans of traditional sageuks. I enjoyed it a lot but if you want to check out pre-Joseon sageuks but have mainly watched youth sageuk stuff before, you should probably start with another drama on this list.

The Great Seer - set in the reign of King Gongmin, the last proper king of Goryeo (his son King U is technically the very last but there are questions as to his status), this is for those of you who want to watch Ji Sang in a sageuk. It’s centered around seers but don’t expect mysticism, this knuckles down to politics.

Shin Don - hi there, another story set in the reign of King Gongmin! From the title, you can tel it centers heavily on the powerful monk who ruled for the King at one point. This has been on my to-watch list forever because this appears to devote a decent chunk of its time to Gongmin X Noguk and I am dying for a proper drama for those two. This is from 2005 so if you do watch, keep that in mind in terms of visuals etc. That cast is lit!

Bicheonmu - this is sort of cheating because it’s pretty much set in China but it involves Koreans so. It’s a drama take on the same story told in a pretty awesome movie. Tragic love, battles, young Joo Jin Moo etc. i am very fond of it. This said, find and watch the Chinese version, Korean one was shredded.

The Iron Empress/Empress Cheon Chu - set in Goryeo, this was another of women ruler centric dramas that had a mini popularity peak in late 00s/early 10s (a trend I wish continued.) it got overshadowed by Queen Seonduk but by all accounts is a solid drama. It’s on my list but I haven’t watched it yet.

The King’s Daughter, Soo Baek Hyang - by the writer of The Rebel and My Dearest. Have I got your attention? Another woman centric ruler tale set in Baekje. Yes, there is a love story. That cast is great, to boot. I have started and liked what I’ve seen but got sidetracked. Need to get back to it. Before you look at the ep number and faint seeing the number 108, keep in mind that the eps are half an hour long so it’s an equivalent of a normal 54 ep sageuk so if you can watch eg Empress Ki, you are good with this.

My Country: The New Age - Lee Bang Won but make it gay. OK, I kid, sort of (not really) but this is smart and passionate and heartbreaking. If you want a wide scope or lots of politics, probably not a take for you (Six Flying Dragons is RIGHT there), but if you want an intense, emotional tale, come right in!

Six Flying Dragons - to me, this is THE drama about Lee Bang Won. It’s smart and emotional, deals with politics and has heart. It has a large cast of characters I got invested in, OTPs that will blow your mind etc etc.

Faith/The Great Doctor - if you are a fan of old school shoujo like Red River, Basara or Fushigi Yuugi, this or Moon Lovers are your best bet on this list. A time traveling tale with other fantasy elements about a modern day plastic surgeon who ends up being kidnapped into Goryeo during the early days of King Gongmin’s (hi!) reign by a tormented, oath bound warrior played by Lee Min Ho at his hottest (and playing historical General Choi Young. Do RPS at your pleasure), this one is one of my all time favorites.

Seodonyo/Ballad of Seo Dong - I am actually currently watching this one tho I haven’t been posting about it. Set in both Baekje and Silla, this is an angsty love story with a side of politics. It’s filmed in 2005 and looks accordingly but if you don’t mind dated visuals, this is pretty great!

Emperor of the Sea - set in Silla and Tang, this was a huge hit and deservedly so. Our protag is a slave and gladiator and a great naval hero. This is grim and smart and epic. It’s from 2004 so once again, if dated visuals are no-go, skip, but if you want a great story and performances, this has your name on it.

The Kingdom of the Winds - an epic cursed prince narrative, our ML (Song Il Gook at his sexiest) rises from abandoned prince and slave and abused assassin to general, royal and king, sparing time for an angsty delicious love story with an enemy princess. This has serious sageuk bits AND the best shoujo tropes in the business, plus enough whump to keep anyone happy.

Gye Baek - Lee Seo Jin, another sageuk stalwart, stars as the title character in this tale of a Baekje commoner, war slave and general. This is grim but glorious.

Soldier/God of War - this is a traditional war-centric sageuk and grim as hell. Another slave to general tale.

King Geun Chu Go - this is on my watch list; it’s about a warrior king of Baekje. Haven’t seen it but heard good things.

Ja Myung Go - smart and unrelentingly tragic, featuring Jang Ryeo Won and Jung Kyung Ho as doomed lovers and Park Min Young in an evil role, this is great and has deeply flawed characters in the very definition of doomed by the narrative tale.

Arthdal Chronicles - this is obviously a fantasy but the tale of prophesied twins, magical priestess, wars and mysticism is clearly set in a pre-Joseon in terms of aesthetics world.

Alchemy of Souls - like Arthdal this is pure fantasy but also like Arthdal, a lot of its styling is pre-Joseon so on this list it goes.

Moon Lovers/Scarlet Heart Ryeo - ok I think if people have heard of only one drama on this very long list, it’s probably this one. Modern time traveling heroine ending up during the reign of Goryeo’s King Taejo, in the middle of his sons’ fight for the throne, having an epic but doomed romance with shoujo catnip tortured bad boy Lee Jun Ki.

Shine or Go Crazy - if you want a more historical take on Moon Lovers succession fight but still with plenty of hotness, angst and doomed romance, come right in. This baby stars Jang Hyuk, so you know it’s bound to be good. I actually started it and enjoyed it but got sidetracked. Need to get back to it. Fun fact: while Moon Lovers was hugely popular internationally, domestically Shine or Go Crazy (they aired around the same time), did much better.

The Legend/The First King’s Four Gods - for a long time this was my favorite kdrama of all time and is still probably in my top 10. Ignore the odd first episode, the rest is perfection. Expensive and wonderfully written, this was Bae Yong Joon’s last drama before he retired to rest on his pile of money (if you are young, you probably don’t remember what a big deal he was, bigger than all the Hallyu stars nowadays put together. He basically was singlehandedly supporting the kdrama industry at one point), but what a worthy way to go out. It’s an epic Goguryeo fantasy tale of a prophesied prince coming into his own, with such amazing characters and relationships and OTPs and battles and points about destiny versus free will. It is everything and I kinda want to rewatch now.

The Blade and The Petal/Sword and Flower - ostensibly a star-crossed Gogureyo love story, this really is more about politics. It’s a mixed bag. The visuals are insane but Uhm Tae Woong, while always solid in modern dramas, is out of place in a sageuk (in QSD Kim Nam Gil stole his thunder; there is nobody to do so here but that doesn’t help him.)

Queen Seon Duk - probably the most famous entrant into female power sageuks, this was a mad hit and centered on the titular character’s rise to power and fight for the same with her female nemesis Mishil. If you want love stories, angsty fighter Bidam propelled Kim Nam Gil to stardom as he stole the leading man mantle from Uhm Tae Woong.

Empress Ki - currently rewatching this. It’s set in the waning days of Goryeo but takes place mainly in Yuan. Still, the FL is Korean and a lot of the story revolves around one of her suitors’, a deposed Korean king, attempts to get his land back. As you can tell by my rabid posts, this is a great drama - politics, romance (I ship FL and the Yuan emperor like mad), murder, dysfunction and everything good.

Hwarang - it’s so brain dead it might as well be a brain-eating amoeba in drama form but it did give us both Park Hyung Sik and Park Seo Joon before they made it big in drama world. It’s terrible tho, stay away.

River where the Moon Rises - I have such a love/hate relationship with this drama - I loved the beginning, with our tormented assassin heroine slowly being warmed by the loyal rustic ML with his own trauma. And then Ji Soo’s bullying scandal happened and he was replaced by Na In Woo, aka the actor I like least from any country in all my close to two decades of watching dramas. I tried but I simply couldn’t and I am still mad. This said, if you don’t share my NIW allergy, it’s probably worth a watch.

The Great King’s Dream - if you liked QSD and can’t get enough of the period but want an even more traditional tale, you can do worse than this drama. I liked what I saw but this baby is 70 eps and lacks Bidam so I peaced out. Maybe I will get back to it sometime, but probably not.

Jeong Do Jeon - as you can tell by the title, centers on JDJ and the last days of Goryeo. Not really my bag (time period been done plenty in other dramas and I don’t have that much interest in JDJ) but supposed to be solid.

My Only Love Song - a short silly mess but still probably better than River (which tells the same story) because it doesn’t have NIW.

King Gwanggaeto the Great - 92 eps. I can’t!

The King Loves - delicious love triangle (that goes ALL ways), angst, prettiness, a side of bodyguard romance. What’s not to love in this Goryeo tale?

ETA: this post was so long that when I tried to tag every drama I mentioned, tumblr told me you hit the tag limit of 30 tags no more tags for you. Oh well, sorry dramas that ended up I tagged!

[korelist]

HWARANG : THE POET WARRIOR YOUTH //  KDRAMA DİZİ YORUMU

UYARI : Yazılar genel olarak spoiler içerebilir. İçermeyedebilir.

İmdb puanı: 8 Benim puanım: 9

Drama: Hwarang / Hwarang: The Poet Warrior Youth

Hangul: 화랑(花郞)

Director: Yun Seong-Sik

Writer: Park Eun-Young

Date: 2017

Language: Korean

Country: South Korea

Cast: Park Seo-Joon, Go Ara, Park Hyung-Sik, Do Ji-Han, Seo Yea-Ji, Kim Tae-Hyung, Kim Won-Hae, Yoo Jae-Myung, Minho, Jo Yoon-Woo, Sung Dong-Il

Hayal takımı!!! Şahane ekip! Benim fanatikliğimin çıkış noktası olan dizi. Park Seo-Joon var, yanına Parkk Hyung-Sik koymuşlar, bir de BTS’in göz bebeği Kim Tae-Hyung(V)’yi ikna etmişler. Daha ne olsun. Wooga Squad’ın temelleri atılmış. Çekimler sırasında Seo-Joon ve Hyung-sik o kadar iyi anlaşınca set sonrasında Seo-Joon’un arkadaş ortamına girmek istemiş. Tae-Hyung ise bilmediği bir alanda iyi bir iş çıkartmak için Seo-Joon’dan yardım isteyince ekibe dahil olmuş. Zaten Wooga Squad’ın en kü��üğü olarak her biri V’yi el üstünde tutuyor. Hatta bir sohbet sırasında Seo-Joon “onu konserde izlediğimizde ne kadar popüler olduğunu fark ettik, sahnede adeta devleşiyor” şeklinde konuşmuştu. Çünkü onlar için V küçük kardeş gibi.

Konudan çok uzaklaştım. Kırmızı çizgime denk geldi. Dizi, MÖ 1. yüzyılda Koguryo, Baekje ve Silla’dan oluşan 3 krallık döneminde; Silla’da geçiyor. Kraliçe askeri bir yapılanma kurmaya karar veriyor. Soylu ailelerin yüzü güzel olan oğullarına savaş sanatı eğitimi vererek “Hwarang” adını verdiği birliği kuruyor. Bu dizi için bir tarih dizisinden çok tarihi anekdotlar içeren tarihi bir dizi diyebilirim.

Queen Jiso (Kim Ji-Soo), tahtı elinde tutabilmek için genç yaşta tahtın varisi olan oğlu Ji Dwi Rang(Park Hyung-Sik)’ i herkesten saklayarak yönetimi elinde tutmaktadır. Kendini korumak için Hwarang’ı kurmaya karar verir. Prens ise halktan biri gibi yaşayarak tahta geçme sırasının gelmesini beklemektedir. Halk prensin kayıplara karıştığını düşünüyordur. Hiç kimse prensin yüzünü görmemiş, neye benzediğini bilmiyordur. Kraliçenin tek düşmanı diğer krallıklar değil, her dönem dizisinde olduğu gibi Silla içinde de tahta göz diken vekiller vardır. Hwarang aslında vekillerin oğlunu kraliçeye hizmet ettirerek ayaklanmalarını önlemek içinde gizli bir amaç barındırıyor.

Moo Myung (Park Seo-Joon) yakın arkadaşı Mak-Moon(Lee Kwang-Soo) ile onun ailesini bulmaya Silla’ya gelirler. Yolda prens ile karşılaşırlar ve Mak-Moon yanlışlıkla karanlıkta prensi görür. Prensin korumaları bunu fark edince, peşine düşüp “prensin yüzünü gördü” diyerek onu öldürürler. Moo Myung arkadaşını kurtarmak için geç kalır. Bunu ona yapanlardan intikam almak için yemin eder. Bunu yapabilmek içinde Mak-Moon’un kimliğine bürünüp oymuş gibi ailesi ile yaşamaya başlar. Ve tabi ki kendisi başrolümüz olduğundan Hwarang’a katılıp saraya girmenin yollarını arayacaktır.

Dizilerdeki en sevdiğim romantizm, beni en çok etkileyen arkadaşlıklar hep ‘bromans’lar oluyor. Bayılıyorum erkeklerin birbirileri ile olan o güçlü bağlarına, hayranım. Sevdiğim bütün oyuncuları çıkartsak dizinin izleyecek bir yanı kalmayacağını kabul ediyorum. Hwarang’ı izleten şeyin Hwarang cast’ı olması ikonik olmuş. Bir araya gelmek zorunda kalan, başta birbirlerinden çok da hoşlanmasalar da mecbur kalan 6 erkeğin dostluğunu izliyoruz. Park Hyung-Sik’i nasıl da özlemişim. “Strong girl Do Bong Soon” dizisinin Min-Min’iydi benim için. Beğendiğim oyuncuların dizilerini izlerim ama onu hep Min-Min olarak bellemişim ki hiç elim gitmemiş başka bir şey izlemeye. Bu diziyle onu da yıkmış oldum. Şahaneydiler. Seo-Joon ile özellikle parıl parıl parlıyorlardı. BTS’den Kim Tae-Hyung‘un yanı sıra , Shinee grubunun üyesi olan Minho da Hwarang ekibindeydi. Onunla ve sesiyle de burada tanışmış olduk.

Moo Myung (Park Seo-Joon); fakir bir hayat yaşamış arkadaşları için kendini feda edebilecek lider ruhlu bir gençtir. Köpek-Kuş lakabı ile bilinir. Sessiz sakin ama net bir duruşu vardır.

Sam Maek Jong / Ji Dwi Rang (Park Hyung-Sik); kendisi sürgün bir prenstir. Annesinin taht sevdası yüzünden saklanarak yaşamak zorunda kalmıştır. Bir şekilde Hwarang’a katılarak kaleyi içten fethetmeyi amaçlar. Burada biraz yorum katmam gerekirse, çok pasifti. Öyle böyle değil. Ben en azından bir kral duruşuna tavrına sahip olmasını beklerdim. Önünde sonunda annesi çekilmek zorunda kalacak ve tahta çıkacak kişi olacaktı. Ama hiç o ışığı taşımıyordu. Bunun suçlusu senaryoydu muhtemelen. Daha net ve kararlı bir karakter yazmış olmalarını isterdim.

Soo Ho Rang (Minho); Kraliçenin destekçisi olan soylu bir ailenin oğludur. Bütün kızlara mavi boncuk dağıtırken, aslında gönlü kraliçededir. Onun gözünde hiçbir kadın kraliçeye denk değildir.

Ban Ryu Rang (Do Ji-Han); Kraliçenin düşman ailelerinden birinin oğludur. Ho-Rang’ın en büyük rakibidir. Sessiz, sinirli ve en soğuk üyedir. Babalarının düşmanlıklarını devam ettirmeye çalışıyorlardır.

Yeo Wool Rang (Jo Yoon-Woo); grubun en femineni ve en güzel görünenidir. Hikayeye çok bir katkısı olmayan etkisiz eleman olduğunu söyleyebilirim.

Ve Han Sung Rang (Kim Tae-Hyung); sevimli, şımarık ve en çocuksu Hwarang’dı. Aile ismi nedeni ile istemeden Hwarang’a katılmak zorunda kalmıştır. Gerçek hayatta Seo-Joon’a olduğu gibi dizideki karakteri de Moo Myung’a kendini yakın hissettiği için onun etrafında dolaşırken bol bol görüyoruz. Çekimlerde kendi sahnelerinden önce Seo-Joon’a gidip “bu işi ilk kez yapıyorum ve iyi bir şekilde yapmak istiyorum, yardımcı olur musun?” diye sormuş. Seo-Joon ise adeta bir oyuncu koçu gibi her sahnesinden önce onunla ezber yaparak onu sahneye hazırlamış. O zamandan beride çok yakın arkadaş olmuşlar. Hatta bir sohbetlerinde şakayla karışık bütün oyuncuların öyle olmadığını herkese aynı şekilde yaklaşmaması gerektiğini tembihliyordu.

Ve dizideki tek kadın karakter olmasa da ön plandaki tek kadın olan A-Ro(Go Ara) vardı. Dizinin başında ölen Mak-Moon’ın gerçek kız kardeşiydi. Hem sahte abisi Moo Myung hem de gizli prens Maek Jong ile yakınlaşmalar yaşayan bu hanım kızımız, düşük sınıf bir anneden doğmuştur. Babasının soylu olması önemsizdir. Babası o dönemin doktoru olduğu için onun çıraklığını yapar. Ek gelir için ise kadınlara müstehcen hikayeler anlatır.

Özetleyecek olursam, tatlı sert bir arkadaşlık hikayesi izledik diyebiliriz. Dizinin akışındaki aşk hikayesinden çok bromansin ön planda olduğu sıcak bir diziydi. Havasında asla ağırlık yoktu. Çok da ciddi olmayan bir atmosferde çok keyfi bir hikaye anlatılıyordu. Dizi müzikleri içinde ise BTS’den Jin ile V’nin eseri olan bir şarkı yer alıyor.

 OST:

BTS (V, Jin) - It's Definitely You

Raven Melus

BAŞKA NELER VAR ?

FOTOĞRAFLAR

[kimyoonmiauthor]

World Lit: Three basic ways to choose events.

So kinda piggybacking on the whole Story structure thing, but I’ve been thinking about this ever since I learned that the plot isn’t the basic for a lot of story structures and perhaps why particularly white male European lit doesn’t follow the other types of ways to choose events. So I’m throwing a theory out there, but I honestly haven’t read extensive texts to back this up... but I do know this is true from talking to other writers, and consuming a ton of fiction in all different kinds of forms.

So generally, you have the story driver...

What I find keenly interesting is that youtubers often pick up on the conflict-only narrative and call it weak. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqqfMtFs_sY

Such as in this case, where she says, “But I don’t FEEL anything.”

Which is interesting to me, because the argument from Lubbock et al about the conflict narrative was that it was supposed to bring “more emotions”.

Though I suppose WW1984 also argues that you need other ingredients.

But in this case, of the pure conflict narrative, a bunch of bad things happen and you choose events around those bad things happening.

In a pure Brecht style you would have a huge ensemble cast of people, and the “bad things that happen” would show the “true worth of a person” to “prove they are a leader.” In his opinion, this would not be divorced from character development but in line with it. So think more like Les Miserable, but more uplift--he was all about the uplifting third act.

In the Brecht style, and to a certain extent Lubbock (though not entirely), you would base things around character-->event-->character (multiple)-->event, etc. Until the conclusion. This (including setting, etc) would then become the “plot”.

And then the main thrust of the story would be located in the “plot” in this type of story theory.

BUT, let’s look at Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Apache, Inuit, Aboriginal (loosely all together according to the source I have), some of the Pacific Islander stories in the South Pacific, and to a certain extent, West African folktales.

The way you choose events isn’t located in character, because often the character serves a higher master. It serves the story. And the events also serve a master, also the overall story. So often events are chosen around a theme or a Tone. So if you have a moral tale, instead of choosing the worst thing to happen to an individual character to lift them up, you would choose every type of event you can think of around a certain theme.

For example, Toni Morrison was super adamant that Beloved was not plotted around conflict in the white male term on the Charlie Rose show. And if you follow the traditional way Griot and diaspora from that region center their stories is around morality. If you follow then, the events are carefully chosen around morality of slavery in Toni Morrison’s book Beloved. (And yes, I did read it.) It doesn’t ask all of the easy surface level questions, does it? It asks some of the questions about Uncle Tom’s Cabin, and white-made narratives about blackness even when well-intentioned. And also about the main theme of Beloved’s morality itself. The characters move through this morality.

Under the Queen Umbrella (Korean, original title is shroom) also thematically chooses things around parenting, family, and what love means under those circumstances (also the radical acceptance part of the drama made me well up with tears) and what does it mean to protect someone? What does it mean to be a parent? What does it mean to be a mother?

Personally after consuming a ton of fiction from different regions, I think when it’s good, it’s really good, Japanese are masters of command of tone. I fan myself all the way through the sheer command of creating a mood without particularly theme, but by casting subtle touches here and there from Japanese literature, film, and command of story. It bleeds so well into everything (and then I cry in envy). And I don’t mean only Kurozawa. (Though c'mon, Kurozawa is a master). Events chosen around tone are there to create a singular mood, and this is often done so well.

I also have to give a shout out to Apache and Zuni storytelling which masters stories that sound different to the same person at different ages. And you can tell how carefully the events are laid out to get this effect.

But what I get from watching reactions, etc is that people resonate strongest with things that make them think and feel strongly. And maybe event-based is fine for say, your lazy watch Hallmark movie, but people often get bored of such a thing, and are demanding they FEEL something more than just the excitement of an action scene. It’s a thought I’ve wondered about too... resonance. How do you achieve it in more of a universal way? Is a universal way possible?

But I think this examination might help people to think more about their event structures as more than just serving character development, but also trying to serve a larger purpose and hit people in the feels more. Personally, I think the pushback on the other types (even if it might make your writing stronger to play with this type of event selection) is because of the individualism that came out of late state capitalism and industrialization. The push towards individualism became a lot heavier in the 20th century, so the idea that through a series of events a character could improve individually and rise to the top (Mary Sue/Gary Stu it) became more seductive than thinking about morality, as a theme, especially for those who held the most societal power. And also after all those wars, etc, thinking of man as an emotional being became less appealing, and if you delete examine the majority of story drivers, they directly lend themselves to tone/theme type of plotting. So pushing back on that and making it less accessible (i.e. pushing it to universities where the general public can’t access it), helps mitigate the damage from asking those hard questions, I would think.

I don’t begrudge conflict-event-based plotting and narratives, but I do dislike how many of the scholars did it at the cost of others and the diversity by calling theirs more commercially viable and accessible. I think the other types from around the world, and from the European and European diaspora backyard should also get a chance to have their piece spoken.